'Forced to leave India': French journalist after cancellation of Overseas Citizenship

French journalist Vanessa Dougnac has left India after facing threats of deportation and a potential cancellation of her Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card. This follows a controversy surrounding her journalistic work, which Indian authorities deemed "malicious" and harmful to the country's "sovereignty and integrity."

For the unversed, the OCI card permits people of Indian origin living overseas to travel to and work in India indefinitely, without having to frequently apply for visas.

"Today, I am leaving India, the country where I came 25 years ago as a student, and where I have worked for 23 years as a journalist. The place where I married, raised my son, and which I call my home," Dougnac, the South Asia Correspondent for French publications La Croix and Le Point, Swiss newspaper Le Temps and Belgian daily Le Soir, said in a statement.

Dougnac, a South Asia correspondent for French publications, had been living and working in India for 25 years. She was initially denied a work permit renewal in September 2022, followed by a notice from the Ministry of Home Affairs in January 2024 questioning her OCI status. The notice alleged her articles were "biased" and "negative" towards India.

In January, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office issued a notice to Olivia Dougnac, questioning the validity of her Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. The notice alleges that Dougnac engaged in journalistic activities without the necessary permissions as mandated by the Citizenship Act 1955 and related regulations.

Olivia Dougnac expressed that her departure from India was not voluntary but rather compelled by the government's assertion that her articles were perceived as "malicious" and detrimental to the "sovereignty and integrity of India."

This development was a notable point of discussion during the delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest.

On January 26, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, when queried about the situation, expressed that France acknowledged India's perspective of examining the case solely in terms of adherence to regulations.

"People are free to do what they are accredited to do in a given space. But here I think the principal issue is whether the person is compliant with the rules and regulations of the state under which they come," Kwatra had said.

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